2nd Grade - Transformation of our body and voice!

As the 2nd Grade is completing their study of the concepts of Change and Form, we enjoy our final games of "Who Am I?" The 2nd Graders are encouraged to adapt their bodies and facial expressions based on the character type, animal, imaginary creature that is called out to them. 

These exercises assist the performer in transferring the images that are formed in their minds to be brought to life through their physical and facial expression. 

Here we are transforming ourselves into....

Evil Scientists

Kings and Queens

Elderly People

Birds Soaring Through the Air

Superheroes

We move onto the transformation of our voices with the game "Greetings Your Majesty". One student is blindfolded while another student in the circle says the phrase "Greetings Your Majesty" creating a voice that is completely different than their own. Then, the student that is blindfolded needs to guess which classmate spoke to them, making this an added challenge for the speaker as they motivate themselves to invent a new voice than can later be used in their character work when performing in a play!

The 2nd Grade is asked to think of all of the wonderful transformations they have done physically in the previous exercises to inspire them to create voices that would match some of their creations. The 2nd Grade found that their entire body came to great use when coming up with a new voice!

KINDER

INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING: PINK SHELL

In Music class, Kindergarten students learned a repertoire of songs, combining music, poetry, dance and visual arts in an interdisciplinary manner. All these forms of art affect deeply our emotions. Experiencing our songs through different art forms made a great impact on the children's learning and the music class became an exciting place of expression and discovery.

Pink Shell is a soft, poetic song: Pink Shell, hollow shell, what is your song? Sing to the ocean breeze, sing all day long. I hear the ocean roar. Winds soft and strong.

The text opened our imagination to create a story about a knight who, while riding his horse along a solitary beach, found a pink shell.  The students used this story to improvise and role play while singing the song.

Storytelling

We also had real shells in class. The students had the opportunity to touch and feel the different shapes, textures, and sizes.  They listened into the shells very intently.  Some of them hear the sounds of the ocean, others of the wind, others even heard mermaids and whales. The senses were open and the imagination sparked.

 After all the previous experiences, the children continue immerse in their imaginary world and capture it on their drawings.

Singing and drawing

Drawing about Io Sono un Bambino

Children keep really busy.

Representing a hand clapping song.

PInk Shell, what is your song?

The pink shell and the mermaid and the ocean roaring

FIRST GRADE: SINGING

Singing is at the core of the music curriculum. Students had the opportunity to develop singing skills through chants, songs, and singing games. Students learned about the physical act of expressive singing, requiring breath support, good posture, and listening. They also participated in vocal training exercises in order to develop pitch accuracy and awareness of sound.

Besides singing with the whole class, students also sang songs in small groups in order to develop
performance skills and vocal independence.

A group of students creating their own presentation of Bow Wow Wow.

Students' own version of Sarasponda.

Students singing Hot Cross Buns using Kodaly hand signals.

Students creating a lively version of Tideo.